From the historical and fascinating Italian region of Venice emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Aquila family. The people of this region were originally known only by a single name, but it became necessary for them to take on a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. The Aquila surname evolved from a nickname; these usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Aquila came from a person who had the sight of an eagle. The surname Aquila is derived from the word aquila, which means eagle. Thus, the surname could also be a name for a spot where eagles were often seen or for an owner of an eagle. The surname Aquila is also of local origin, derived from the city of L'Aquila, which is the capital of the region of Abruzzi in the center/south of the peninsula.

Aquila Early Origins

The surname Aquila was first found in the 11th century at Benevento, a city north of Naples. Riccardo Aquila was master of much territory in this area in 1090.

Aquila Spelling Variations

Aquila Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Aquila include Aquila, Aquilani, Aquilante, Aquilanti, Aquili, Aquilina, Aquilini, Aquilino, Aquilone, Aquiloni, Aquilotti, D'Aquila, dell'Aquila, Aquilar and many more.

Aquila Early History

Aquila Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aquila research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1105, 1204, 1488, 1560, 1630 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Aquila History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aquila Early Notables (pre 1700)

Aquila Early Notables (pre 1700)

Prominent among members of the family was Caspar Aquila (1488-1560), birth name Johann Kaspar Adler, a German reformer and the Aquili family of Rome who were famous painters. The Aquilini family of Lesi produced many painters over a two hundred year period ending in the 17th century. Antonio Aquili...

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aquila Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Aquila or a variant listed above:

Aquila Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Anna Aquila, aged 20, who landed in America from Montoro, in 1906

Angela Aquila, aged 31, who landed in America from Caronia, Sicily, in 1910

Clemenza Aquila, aged 22, who settled in America from Collarmele, Italy, in 1910

Domenico Aquila, aged 14, who landed in America from Canna, Italy, in 1911

Angelina Aquila, aged 11, who settled in America from San Levero, Italy, in 1911

The Aquila Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Aquila Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.